Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (1927-2023) was a New York City singer (born of Jamaican parents) who, despite racial barriers, ascended to the upper echelons of the pop music world in the 1950s and is remembered especially for calypso songs such as Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), Matilda, and Jamaica Farewell, and for his renditions of tender ballads such as Scarlet Ribbons. He appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1955. He befriended Martin Luther King Jr. and became a dedicated civil rights activist from the 1960s till the end of his life.
Belafonte co-starred with Dorothy Dandridge in the hit musical film Carmen Jones (1954). In 1968, he was a guest on Petula Clark's TV show, aired on NBC. During the show, which was pre-recorded, they sang a duet together (On the Path of Glory) and, at one point, Petula smiled at him and touched his hand. This was seen by a person representing the show's sponsor who insisted on the song being re-recorded without physical contact. Petula, however, had ownership rights above and beyond any sponsorship. She told NBC that she would not allow the show to be broadcast if they supported the sponsor. NBC agreed with her, the sponsor was forced to back down and, when broadcast, the show was a ratings success.